This invention relates to ar-cyclic sulfonium arenethiol salts, their zwitterions and polymers thereof.
The propensity of many sulfonium salts to polymerize upon exposure to heat to yield a polyester and a byproduct sulfide has been recognized by Hatch in Canadian Pat. No. 708,230, Lloyd in U.S. Pat. No. 3,409,660 and Kangas in U.S. Pat. No. 3,322,737. More recently in U.S. Pat. Nos. 3,636,052, 3,660,431, 3,723,386 and 3,749,737, it has been recognized that various hydroxyphenyl cyclic sulfonium salts may be converted to phenoxide cyclic sulfonium zwitterions that polymerize upon exposure to heat without yielding sulfide byproducts.
Heretofore, the preparation and polymerization of thiophenoxide cyclic sulfonium zwitterions has not been disclosed.